A Scandinavian Spirit Hits STL

Unless you are of Scandinavian descent or have visited the region before, it’s likely that you haven’t yet had a chance to taste aquavit, the distilled, aromatic spirit that hails from there. But there’s no need to travel across the pond to become acquainted with the flavorful Scandinavian aqua vitae, since the spirit is beginning to pop up in cocktails and coffee drinks around town, and one local producer is even distilling its own. Clear to pale yellow in color and dry on the palate, aquavit is distilled from fermented potatoes or grains, flavored with various herbs, filtered and then bottled. Its distinctive flavor profile results from the botanicals used to make it, including caraway, cumin seed, lemon or orange peel, cardamom, aniseed and sometimes fennel. “This spirit, like gin, is very complex and attracts a narrow following,” said Steve Neukomm, owner of Lafayette Square’s Square One Brewery and Distillery. “[It is] a unique flavor that most have only tried for the first time at Square One. We … encourage our customers to choose aquavit because it is so different.” Though it was originally made in Norway from expensive imported wine, resourceful soldiers in Sweden, now the largest producer of the spirit, learned to make aquavit from grain and, later, potatoes. Today, different Scandinavian countries produce various styles of aquavit, from Finland’s cinnamon-flavored version to Norway’s linie aquavit, which is shipped to Australia and back (across the equator, or “line”) in oak containers, resulting in a mellower flavor profile. “I tried aquavit for the first time in Chicago’s North Shore Distillery, which is also when I learned about linie aquavit and how it is still shipped all the way to Australia … as part of the production process. That aspect really interested me,” said Neukomm. “While we obviously can’t do that here at Square One, we do use oak in the maturation process for approximately three to four weeks.” Square One serves chilled aquavit straight – the traditional Scandinavian way to drink it – but also features it in a twist on the classic Bloody Mary, the Aqua Mary. As a testament to its versatility, Michele Floyd, owner of The Map Room, serves aquavit in a rich and creamy Scandinavian coffee, “much like an Irish coffee,” she explained. Putting aquavit on The Map Room’s internationally influenced menu was a natural choice for Floyd because “the ways to use it are literally endless,” she said. “Most people are familiar with Russians and their vodka, and the idea that they put vodka in everything: coffee; juice; soda; tea, hot or cold,” Floyd explained. “They drink it straight up and they cook with it; it’s their nectar of the gods. Well, aquavit is exactly the same to the Scandinavians.” For customers who are curious about aquavit, Floyd prefers making them a drink rather than simply trying to describe its flavor profile to them. “If they don’t like it, we offer to make them something else instead, but we have yet to have one sent back.” Two to try The Map Room pours a Danish brand called Aalborg Akvavit, which was also recommended by Tony McLaughlin, general manager at Randall’s Wine and Spirits, where it retails for $16.99. Square One’s locally distilled spirits are sold on a rotating basis; when available, the 375-ml bottle of aquavit sells for $18, the 750-ml bottle for $30.